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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Welbert Bauyaban

Baptism Ceremony Ends In Death As Pastor Heads For Manslaughter Trial

Robert Smith Birmingham
A solemn court case now carries a date, but the most important answers are still to come. (Credit: OG RON / Facebook)

A baptism ceremony that ended in the death of a 61-year-old man has moved a step closer to trial after a Birmingham pastor appeared in court charged with gross negligence manslaughter.

Cheryl Bartley, 48, appeared before Birmingham Crown Court on Friday over the death of Robert Smith, from Brixton, south London, who drowned during a religious baptism ceremony at a property on Slade Road in Erdington on 8 October 2023.

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